Injury won’t keep this Mustang from backing up teammates

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – LRHS football player Jayden Carter, senior, refuses to let injury keep him from supporting his teammates.

Last Friday Carter tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), his medial cruciate ligament (MCL), and his meniscus while scrimmaging against the Riverview Rams.

Carter was a potential captain for the team. He plays safety and has a long recovery ahead of him.

A Rams running back broke free and ran down the sideline and attempted to back juke. Carter’s cleat got stuck in the ground when he planted his foot, leading to a serious collision.

“I couldn’t stand up. Everyone came over to me and just told me to stop moving because I kept trying to stand up and I couldn’t,” said Carter.

Teammate Drew Mitts said, “When he went down I didn’t know anything was seriously wrong until I heard him screaming. He was just rolling around screaming in pain. I’m so sad for him, it’s his senior year and I know how much passion he has for the sport.”

When he was carried off to the sideline, trainers tried to see if he could walk and checked for swelling.

“The whole time I was just devastated, I wanted to go back and help support my team,” said Carter.

Carter will be getting surgery within the next week and has been ruled out of any physical activity for six to nine months.

He planned on playing lacrosse during the spring as well, but he will still not be healthy by that time.

Even with his injury, Carter still attends practice and does what he can to support his teammates by going to the fundraising events and attending team dinners before their games.